Kentucky mails 182 letters in single day to football recruit Matt Elam of John Hardin

The University of Kentucky may have set a football recruiting contact record when it mailed 115 letters to four-star Conner High School quarterback Drew Barker on a single day in March.

On Monday, the Wildcats' sent an even bigger bulk mailing - 182 letters - to their bulkiest recruiting target, Matt Elam, a 360-pound defensive tackle at John Hardin High School.

Elam, the nation's No. 10 prospect by 247Sports.com's rankings, said he was home when the mail carrier called him out to her truck to see the crate of letters, all from UK.

"She said, 'You must be a good basketball player,' " Elam said. "I laughed. I said, 'No, I'm a football player.' "

Elam, who likes, in no particular order, UK, Louisville, Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame, is used to having a full mailbox.

He said he receives 10-20 recruiting letters a day. UK previously sent him 69 one day last spring. Alabama has sent him 30 letters at a time.

But UK's Monday delivery made an impression.

"I just love that they want me and I'm very high on their list," said Elam, who plans to announce his college choice in January at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio. "It's nice to see that you're wanted so bad by (a Southeastern Conference) school."

Elam said he had not yet opened the 182 letters - all written by UK staff - but coach Mark Stoops tweeted that "those are all the reasons why you should pick UK."